Game-cards



Vhasas one of itsobjects touprovide a JAY R. "nUNCAN, 'F irEW'AiT'E,

iiiiiiivois.

i GAME- CARDS.

Application filed May '21, 1919.

ToaZZfw/wm #may concern.'

Be it known that l, JAY R. DUNCAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kewanee, in the county of Henry and State of Illinois, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Game-Cards, of which the following is a speciiic'ation.

his invention relates to game'cardsiand A deck the cardsof which possess such characteristics as will adapt the deck for Vuse in the playing` of relatively simple or more coinplicated games so vvthat the deck "he made use of hy children orthose who desire to play a game'requiring hiitlittleinental exercise o'rit may he used'hyplayers who prefer a game embracing more intricatepossibilities in its 'playing and requiring considerable mental exercise.l

Another object of the invention is to provide a gaine card deck comprising aireyl'atively small nninber of cards possessing such `charaeteris'tics that a QinaXimuni ninnher ,of possible plays 'may :he made in the playing of one of the gaines for which the deck is adapted.

Another object of the invention is to provide a deck each'ca'rd of which possesses a plurality of suit values so that while in the present embodiment of the invention there is a total oit' thirty-six cards comprising three setsoi twelve Acards each, the thirtysix cards in reality comprise six suits of twelve cards each.

A, further object of the` invention is to provide a deck each card of which willnot only possess a Iplurality of suit values lont alsoa numerical value so that usefulness of the deck is vgreatly enlarged. A

Iny the accompanying drawings the several figures designated as Al to '6 inclusive represent views of different cards jselected from the deck for vthe purpose of illustrating the principle of the, invention.

he deck ot cards forming Vthe ,subject matter of the present invention preferably comprises a total ofl'thi'rty-six cards Vwhich in accordance with Vsuit values 'of one 'character may he classified in three sets of twelve cards eac and in accordance with suit values oi'another vcharacter may be classified into three sets of twelve cards each ditl'ering Yfrom the "sets Vof the iirst classification.

VThe cards `are designated numerical values in such "manner vvthat the cards coinpris'ing each set 'of either classifi'c'atin inen- Specifcation oflLetteisPatent.

vtrar'y nature and therefore 'of the present invention it is not absolutely lessential that vthe particular indicia illus- Patented Aug. io, i920. Serial No. 298,590.

tioned will have their numerical values runn ing in sequence. Thus each of the thirty- Y six cards hears words or symbols indicative 'of its two different suit values, and a numeral indicative of its numerical value. The verbal, symbolical, and numerical value-indicating indicia may he of an arbiwithin the spirit vtrated in the drawings and hereinafter referred to be employed, the'drawings being merely illustrative of one embodiment of the invention.

. In thepresent instance twelve of the cards will lcear the word i Yanks this word appearing at each end ot each of the said twelve cards and 'being a name vgiven by of the American Expeditionary Force. F our or these twelve cards are illustratedin 'Figs. il, 2, 3 and 5 of the drawings in which iigures the word is indicatedhy the numeral l. Likewise in diametrically `opposite 'corners each of these twelve cards is provided with the initial letter 'of the,v word as indicated by the numeral 2. Likewise 'another twelve of `the cards .have printed thereon vthe word French as indicated hy the numeral 3, located at each end of each card and bearing reference, of course, to the French troops. The remaining twelve cards have printed thereon the word English as indicated by the numeral t, this word appear- .ing at each end of each of the twelve cards and, of coursephearing reference to the British troops, One of the French cards is shown in Fig. 4L of thev drawings and one of the f English cards is shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings,l the former card and the remaining ones or" the suitA to which it belongs having printed .in diametrically op posite corners the initial letter of the word French, as indicated hy. the numeral 5. Ina siinilar manner each ofthe English cards has printed in its diametrically opposite corners the initial letter of the word English as indicated by the numeral 6. Each et the twelve Tanks cards hears numerals indicating the numerical 'value of the card as indicated by the numeral 7, the numerals upon Veach card being'arranged adjacent the word Yanks at the respective ends of the card and the said numerals upon each card being relatively inverted Vso that the cards may be read when viewed from either end. At this point it is to be noted that likewise the words Yanks, French and English upon'each of the respective cards are relatively inverted for the same purpose. The cards shown in Figs. 1, 2, B, and 5 of the drawings have respectively the numerical values 9, 10, 5 and 8. As beforev stated there are twelve of these Yanks cards and the cards comprising the Yanks suit will be consecutively numbered from 1 to 12. Each of the Y cards cf this suit will furthermore have printed in its before mentioned diametrically opposite corners the numerals 8 corresponding to the numerals 7. Tn like manner the twelve cards comprising the French suit will be consecutively numbered from 1 to 12 and the twelve cards comprising the English suit will be consecutivelyT numbered from 1 to 12. VThus viewed in this light the deck of thirty-six cards comprises three suits, namely the Yanks, French and English suits and each suit comprises twelve cards and the cards of each suit are given numerical values ranging from 1 to 12.

Each card is additionally identified by a suit designation in a sense wholly independent of the suit designations comprising the words Yanksf7 French and English above pointed out, and these latter suit designations are of three different characters so that by them the thirty-six cards are classified in three additional suits. Thus twelve of the cards belonging to what may be termed the money suit have printed thereon between' the numerals 7 a distinguishing symbol., in thisV instance the dollar mark as indicated by the numeral 9; another twelve of the cards, considered as belonging to the food suit will be printed between the said numerals 7 with a symbol representative of some article of food, in the present instance the representation of a loaf of bread, as indicated by the numeral 10; and, the remaining twelve cards will have printed upon them between the said numerals 7 a symbol such for example as a representation of the Red Cross as indicated by the numeral 11 indicating that these cards belong to the women suit. The women suit will comprise four cards from the Yanks suit, four cards from the French suit, and four cards from the English suit and preferably the cards from the Yanks suit belonging also to the money suit will be those having the numerical values of 3, 6, 9 and 12; those from the French suit the numerical values of 1, 4, 7 and 10; and, those from the English suit the numerical values of 2, 5, 8 and 11. The cards of the Yanks suit belonging also to the food suit will preferably be the cards having the numerical values 1, 1, 7 and 10; those frornthe French suit belcnging also to the food suit will have the numerical values 2, 5, 8 and 11; and, those from the English suit common also to the food suit will have the lnumerical values 3, 6, 9 and 12. Likewise the cards from the Yanks suit common also to the women suit will have the numerical values 2, 5, S and 11; those from the French suit common also to the women suit will have the numerical values 3, 6, 9l and 12; and, those from the English suit common also to the women suit will have the numerical values 1, 1, 7 and 10. Thus as before stated the money suit will comprise twelve cards designated with numerical values Vranging from 1 to 12 inclusive and comprising four cards of the Yanks suit, four cards of the French suit, and feur cards of the English suit. This is likewise true of the cards comprisingthe food and women suits. The cards of the money, food, and women suits are designated by their respective symbols in their before mentioned diametrically opposite corners as indicated by the numeral 12. It will now be evident that the twelve cards comprising the Yanks suit will embrace four cards from the money suit, four cards from the food suit, and four cards from the women suit, the same being true of the cards of the French and English suits. In practice for example the cards of the money suit belonging also to the cards of the Yanks suit will have the numerical values of 3, 6, 9 and 12; the four cards of the food suit belonging also to the Yanks suit will `have the numerical values of 1, 4, 7 and 10; and, the four cards of the women suit belonging also to the Yanks suit will have the numerical values of 2, 5, 8 and 11. Likewise the food suit will comprise the cards of the Yanks suit having the numerical values 1, #1, 7 and 10; the cards of the French, suit having the numerical values 2, 5, 8 and 11, and, the cards of the English suit having the numerical-values 3, 6, 9 and 12. Also the cards of the women suit will comprise the cards of the Yanks suit having the numerical values 2, 5,18 and 11, the cards of the French suit having the numerical values 3, 6, 9 and l2; and the cards of the English suit having the numerical values 1, l, 7 and 10.

From the foregoing it will be seen that each card has two suit values and a numerical value. As a result by the use of the cards embodying the invention there may be a diversity of plays which could not be had if each card did not possess the characteristics stated. Also it will be evident that while the deck comprises only thirty-six cards, there are in effect siX suits of twelve cards each due to the fact that it is possible to play any one ofthe cards either one of two ways, it being .intended in one play to belong to'one suit and in another play tobelong to Vanother suit. Of course, the suits represented by the Words Yanks'f French and English may be disregarded and the cards pla red in accordance with the suits represented by the symbols designated by the numerals 9, l0 and 1l, and vice versa.

Before proceeding` to a statement of the rules by which tivo diiilerent games ma 7 be played by the use ot the deck of cards hereinbefore ldescribed, it may be stated that 5F77 J l each o card counts live points tothe player holding it at the conclusion oit the game; the greatest number Yoit cards of the money suit held at the end of the game counts ten points; and, eachdiand taken counts live points.

Disregarding the money, food and Women suits a simple game may be played iolloivs by two, three or four people: ln dealing, eight cards are dealt to each player and a reserve oi' four cards is also dealt t0 be used by the first player, who should be the one to the left o1c the dealer. One card played tace up on the table, by each player constitutes a hand. The deal passes to the lett.

rllhe first player picks up the reserve of tour cards and his other eight cards and from these twelve cards he discards four, leawing` eight in his hand which is the same number as held by each ot the other players. Ordinarily it is best, to discard the four lowest cards and if a player has a large number of cards of one suit it will usually be best to discard the cards of another or other suits. il player should not discard any of the cards hai/ing the numerical. value ot 5 but may discard cards of the money suit iil he so chooses. ln commencing the game, the player to the left of the dealer plays lrom his hand, any selected one ot his cards which is placed face up upon the table and usually it will be found best to play the card havinO' the highest numerical value. lit tor example the card led is the l2 of the Yanks suit, the other player must iolloiv suit it possible, or if they cannot they must play a. card of the English suit, either of which will, of course, be lost to them since the highest card ot the suit led is the Winning card. rllhe Winner of the hand collects the cards ivon and places them tace down upon the table. The game is continued in this manner and it desired the players may play iartners. As before stated, the player having the greatest number ot money cards at the conclusion ot the playing oit the hand receives ten points, but il there is a tie these points are not counted.

It' desired, bidding may enter into the playing ot the game and in proceeding in this manner the player at the lett ot' the dealer calls out his bid. and the next player or players'ivill increase this bid if possible, each player having but one bid. The one bidding Vthe highest picks up the four reserve cards and from them and the cards dealt to him discards tour cards which he does not care to hold andthen proceeds to play lirst. lf a player fails vto make his bid a corresponding number of points is deducted Yfrom his previousscore. F olloi Ying the rules stated above, there may be a variation in the manner ot playing the game by disregarding the Yanks, French and English suits and considering only the money, food and women suits.

A more diilicult and intricate game may beplayed by the following rules: The cards are dealt in the manner heretofore stated and the players may bid also as before stated and in addition may make trump, the trump suit as usual having preference over the other suits and the advantages ot trump cards over other cards being those Well-known. At this point it Will be understood that due to the peculiarity of the cards comprising the deck it is possible, `for a player to `make the u'ncommon play of Ifollowing suit and at the same time play trump in another suit and Win the hand. Thus itl the food suit is trump and the first card played Was the l2 French card then the remaining players should follow suit although a player could play, for example, the card belonging both to the French and food suits and having the numerical value of eight and Winning the hand because he has not only followed the suit led but at tho same time has played trump. 0f course, in playing both suits simultaneously the player ot the lirst card must designate the suit to be followed. Thus it the first card led should be the 17 French and money card and the player designates the suit as French, then the succeeding play ers must follow suit if possible or they may play a card from the trump suit. In the next hand played the card led might be the l2 English and food card and the suit might be designated as food In view of the arbitrary designation ot the suits, a player holding for example two l2 cards Would be in possession of the best card in any one of four suits.

lt will be observed from the foregoing that the cards ot' the various suits bear ordinals or numerical values increasing by a progression ot three.

aving thus described the invention, what is claimed as newv is:

l. A game card deck comprising a number of cards divisible into a plurality of sets 01"' suits, the suits of one set relating to such matter different from that to which the suits of another set relate, and each card being common to a suit of each or" the sets.

2. game card deck comprising a numymay be Vdivided into a plurality bei' of cards divisible into a plurality of sets of suits, the suits of one set relating to such matter different from that to which the suits of another set relate, each card being common to a suit of each of the sets, and each card bearing indicia indicative of a numerical value.

3. A game card deck comprising a number of cards bearing indicia indicative of suit values whereby the total number ot' cards of related suits, each card bearing indicia indicative of another suit value unrelated to the first mentioned value of the respective card whereby the total number of cards may be divided into a'plurality of suits related to one another and unrelated to the irst mentioned suits. Y

4. A game card deck comprising a number o1" cards bearing indicia indicative of suit values whereby the total number of cards may be divided into a plurality of related suits, each card bearing indicia indicative of another suit value unrelated to the irst mentioned value oiF the respective card whereby the total number of cards may be divided into a plurality of suits related to card of next numerical to divide the deck into one another and unrelated to the irst mentioned suits, each card bearing indicia indicative of a numerical value.

In a game card deck, cards numbered to divide the deck into consecutively numbered sets, each card having plural suit indicia dividing the deck into as vmany suits as there are consecutively numbered sets.

6. In a game card deck, cards numbered to divide the deck into consecutively numbered sets, each card having plural suit indicia dividing the deck into as many suits as there are consecutively numbered sets, one suit indicia of each card of each set corresponding to one suit indicia of the value in another set. 7. In a game card deck, cards numbered three consecutively numbered sets, each card having as many different suit indicia as there are consecutively numbered sets, one suit indicia of each card of each set corresponding to one suit indicia of the card of next numerical value in another set. Y

In testimony whereof aiiX my signature.

JAY R. DUNCAN. [a 5.] 

